1-14-21 - Standardized Cheating

 Standardized Cheating

IDEA - 1-14-21

by

Patrick Ryan

The day finally came, the state paid a visit to Principal Knoll and told him that if test scores didn't go up by at least 25% over last year, they would close the school down.  Rodney Knoll had been Principal of Highlander High School for 20 years. Right smack-dab in the middle of two of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city, Principal Knoll knew that if the school closed, the state would send these students to other high schools that weren't anywhere near where they live. That would mean bus rides up over 40 minutes in traffic every morning. Just another obstacle to get in the way of them earning their high school diploma. Most of the students were on the brink of dropping out anyway. If the state were to add another burden, half would just call it quits. It was that time of the year again; UPS delivered the state test in secure plastic wrap. A large sign sealed the plastic, "do not open until test day." The tests were delivered a week in advance to Principal Knoll's office. There they sit,  staring at him as the students left for the day. It was three days until they had to take the test, and Principal Knoll couldn't help himself; he tore open one of the sealed packages and looked at the test. He memorized the questions and created a test prep review, and distributed it to teachers. With two days until test time, the teachers gave the test review and helped them answer the questions. Little did they know, they were reviewing with the actual test. When the test day arrived, Principal Knoll walked the halls, peeking in on classrooms taking the test. He saw students smiling. They finally knew all the answers, something that rarely happens in their lives.  When the test was done, Principal Knoll packed up the test and shipped them out to be graded. The test results had arrived, and Principal Knoll didn't know what to do. If he was ever caught, he would lose his job and never work in education again. Principal Knoll sits at his desk on a Thursday afternoon, stares at the envelope with the results,  feeling the guilt of a gesture he made with best intentions.

1-13-21 - A Brush of Excitement

 A Brush of Excitement

IDEA - 1-13-21

by

Patrick Ryan

Lynn Borden's daily life is dull. She works all day, and at night she takes care of her elderly and sick mother. One day after work, while walking to her car in a darkened parking garage, a man drops a few papers that are caught in the wind. The man's papers scatter around the garage, and Lynn helps him pick them up. Lynn sees some of the contents on the forms accidentally but doesn't think anything of it. They go their separate ways, but a covert agency called Black Band Intelligence Service visits Lynn the next day. An off-the-books group of spies used by the CIA on US soil. The secret organization has 24 hours to stop a terrorist cell from being triggered by the man Lynn saw in the parking garage. Since she was the only one who saw the man and his papers, they take Lynn Borden with them for the day. It would be 24 hours that she would never forget. She participated in covert operations, car chases, clandestine communications, and undercover disguises. With Lynn's help, the Black Band Intelligence Service stops the terrorist attack from happening, and all ends well. Unfortunately for Lynn, after a brush of excitement, she has to go back to her dull life. This day had changed her. She could not go on living in the same way anymore.

1-12-21 - A Cold Visit

 A Cold Visit

IDEA - 1-12-21

by

Patrick Ryan

When Phillip Delray goes to Berlin, Germany, on vacation, he inadvertently awakens old Cold War tech. A chance meeting with a former spy is growing into a full-blown activation of the Cold War. A sequence of incidents, including finding a dead body, inadvertently signaling the Army to be on high alert, and saying a keyword at the right time, accidentally almost lead to World War III. Philip Delray’s status is elevated because he's the only person in Berlin who realizes it's all a mistake. Will this bumbling tourist figure out what is going on before the East in the West launch an all-out attack.

1-11-21 - Organ Farm

 Organ Farm

IDEA - 1-11-21

by

Patrick Ryan

When a wealthy scientist is diagnosed with a genetic disorder at age 58, he decides to clone himself, hoping that his clones will provide him with new organs by the time the genetic disorder begins to degenerate his organs. There were seven clones in the first batch; they lived on a farm that the scientist owned. The seven clones were taken care of by the first caretaker from birth to the age of 11. When one of the clones was abducted, she died when she was shot as collateral damage. Under suspicious circumstances, the abducted clone ended up dead and donated his femur and marrow to the originator. The death of their brother was kept a secret from the other six clones. From that point on, a new caretaker took over, one that wouldn't ask too many questions. She was mean, but the disciple helped the clones to succeed. At the age of 18, one of the clones took a joyride to the city where he died in a car accident. His heart was given to the originator, who had gone into heart failure. At that point, the remaining five clones were split, one of the Clones, ID number 12B37, Larry, was sent to New York City to attend a Prep School. When another clone died under mysterious circumstances, the five clones became four and the dead brother had donated their liver and another kidney to the originator. The first to become suspicious about the farm’s experience and why his brothers were dying suspiciously was clone number 12B37. He launched an investigation to find the four remaining brothers. This is when he learns the true nature of the other's deaths. His research ultimately led to many cities in the United States; two more clones died, one donated his stomach and the other donated part of his brain. The quest for the originator persisted and finally brought him into contact with the last clone not killed. They developed a close-knit bond, choosing to watch each other's backs. Now, at the age of 50, Clone 12B37 receives crucial information about the originator's location, who now is just over one hundred years of age. As Clone 12B37 gets closer to the originator, wild and unexpected events begin to get in his way. One day, he wakes up, distracted by his search, and his last remaining cloned brother is dead. There was an accident, and he found out at his funeral that his eyes had been donated to the originator. However, the originator is slipping. This transaction enables clone 12B37 to locate the originator. He's going to come face-to-face with the guy who killed all of his brothers. When they meet, he kills the originator, gathers all the organs that his brothers donated, and becomes the originator himself.

1-10-21 - Rainierland

 Rainierland

IDEA - 1-10-21

by

Patrick Ryan

An American billionaire named Morton Rainier decided one day that he would build an artificial island 50 miles off the coast of South Florida. He would dredge the ocean floor and live out the rest of his life in perfect weather surrounded with luxury. He named it Rainierland, and initially he built it to be left alone, with an abundance of success in making money but little success in developing relationships. Construction began in 2024, and in 2026, Morton finally completed it. The island was about 5.5 square miles and was fairly small initially. But, over time, the myth of Rainierland began to develop amongst the wealthy. They wanted to live on an island like that but weren't willing to pay for it as Morton did. So, they made the decision to lease the land on Morton's Island. It became so famous that a year after its launch, there were real skyscrapers there. Rainierland was a paradise away from the law, had a domestic security force rivaling a small country, and almost everything was legal. Rainierland was, slowly but inevitably, a refuge for the affluent. In fact, after a few years of catering to the whims of some of the most influential people on earth, Morton declared himself the monarch of Rainierland and created a law that you must be at least a millionaire to enter this Kingdom. After applying to the UN for sovereignty, his rich friends ensured that Rainierland would become their own country. Protection was of utmost importance, King Morton couldn't have criminals running around now that Rainierland had developed a reputation as a place where rich people go. Life in Rainierland became the dream of a young entrepreneur named Francis Kent. Rainierland had already established its reputation as a lavish, glamorous paradise when he was young. Francis’s ambition was to become a billionaire and move there. It took longer than he expected it would, spending almost 40 years of his life building a service that would get him there. He was fascinated with Rainierland. He was the owner of a cleaning business called "The Whole Shebang." The whole idea of it was modeled after Rainierland. Not only did they clean your home or apartment, but they also staffed handyman, caterers, administrative assistants, and luxury items like masseuses and therapists. Francis had built quite the life for himself in the States, but as he slowly watched his bank account tick up past a billion, it was time to sell out, the business, all his assets, and head off to Rainierland. The admission amounted to a million dollars a year. With plenty of money to afford the admission fee and still have spending money to enjoy his life, he moved his entire family, paying a million dollars per person, to the island. Francis had always wanted to move to Rainierland, but it is almost impossible to live up to expectations when you spend your life obsessed.

1-9-21 - Zarathustra

 Zarathustra

IDEA - 1-9-21

by

Patrick Ryan

In this alternate history, humans have lived without moral guidance which enables evil to thrive without any means of eliminating it. Humans exist without a sense of security knowing that pain could come to them or anyone they love, at any time. Then one day, Zarathustra came out of the sky. Some say he is an extraterrestrial, some say he is a god, while the majority consider him a superhero. He has the powers and abilities of Superman; being bulletproof, fireproof, being able to move faster than sound and shoot laser beams out of his eyes. He also has no discernible weakness —  not even the fake Kryptonite. He is additionally gifted with the ability to read people's minds.  If he is close by, he will be able to pick up on your brain waves, read your memories, and see all of the evil deeds you've ever been part of, past and present.  The human race had their prayers answered. In the first few years after Zarathustra had been on this Earth, all wars had ended, the human race flourished, and nearly all manifestations of evil had been eradicated or concealed. Gone were the days of forced labor, mass murder, and cruelty to others. Zarathustra had a top ten; like a bounty hunter, he roams the Earth looking to arrest evil humans in which he encounters. Yet, good and bad are mostly found in the grey area. That's why as a code of ethics, Zarathustra feels something questionable should be up for the courts to rule. But, for the most part, Zarathustra's testimony is enough to convict so it ends up being a death sentence anyway. Politics, money, and ethnicity still provide leniency to people who most likely don't deserve it. It is most certainly a good thing that Zarathustra was not the executioner, that is way too much power for one being. Years had gone by, and this system seemed to be working pretty well for everyone. But all it took was arresting the wrong man and Zarathustra's role on Earth began to be questioned. Mark Sampson, the fourth richest man in America, was arrested on allegations that he intentionally used his website to produce favorable propaganda for a military unit that had killed 1,000 members of a competing ethnicity living within its borders. Although this happened 20 years ago, Zarathustra read his mind when he encountered him at a technology conference in Silicon Valley. Keeping with his code, he let human juries decide his fate. Mark Sampson was arrested at the conference. The arrest of this powerful figure was the beginning of the end. Mark Sampson, CEO of the largest social media firm on this planet, managed to weaken Zarathustra's credibility sufficiently to create skepticism among the public. Political comments turned humans against Zarathustra. "If he can do this to me, he can do this to any of you!" Most humans decided that they did not like the fact that God lived on their planet and told him to leave and not come back. Not even a superhero God could control the infectious thoughts of the evil man. All it takes is a little fear for humans to revert to their old uncertain ways.

1-8-21 - Svarga

 Svarga

IDEA - 1-8-21

by

Patrick Ryan

Sarif is seated back in his chair, an old man now, reminiscent of his time sailing in the ocean. We were out in the open seas, in the Indian Ocean. There were five of us here, including a Brit named Kellen. There was a report that there was a hurricane. But, that did not deter us. We were so blown off track, we were telling ourselves "at least a hundred miles," it might have been a thousand. Now, that man, Kellen, was weird. He claims to have climbed Mount Everest, helped build the Berlin Wall, been part of the Manhattan project, things like that. Well, while we're all in a panic trying to find our way back to the familiar, Kellen's going on about this island, Svarga. He's sitting on the bow of the boat drinking and doesn't do anything until I call him out. He slides back to the spot where we were standing. "It's easy, gents, we go to Svarga." He named it paradise; he mistakenly discovered it 20 years ago, when the island was ruled by the vicious Tang. He rules with an iron fist, killing those who oppose him, taking most of the resources, and leaving the people on the island to starve. Kellen's boat had crashed into the rocks, and his body washed up on the shore. He was rescued by a woman named Eami. She brought him back to her hut to where she nursed him back to health. Eami's father was part of the original resistance trying to stop Tang from taking their island. Upon surrendering to Tang, Eami's father was killed as well as the other members of the opposition. Kellen promises to defeat Tang after Eami saved his life. With no firearms, no men willing to fight, and the enemies with guns, knives, and trained guards, he still defeated Tang. Kellen spent the whole next day gathering cicadas in the thick forests of the island. He spent the next three nights teaching them to sing only at night. In the first part of his strategy, he took the hundreds, almost thousands of cicadas, broke into Tang's compound, and scattered them around all of the sleeping quarters. For five days straight, they all hardly had any sleep at the compound. In Step two of his scheme, he filled the compound's septic tank with ocean water and then snuck into the compound's food supply and laced it with a powder that would make everyone at the compound vomit and have diarrhea. In phase three of his plan, he spent a month fixing up his boat, adding a flair of luxury that it initially didn't have. He sailed the ship to the dock near the compound and claimed to be a rich traveler from the British Isles. Tang valued western wealth and welcomed Kellen to the compound, where he could see firsthand what a month of sleep deprivation, sickness, and a stench of feces can do. Kellen went on to tell Tang about a tremendous undiscovered island with riches beyond his imagination. He told him the journey was long and risky, but it was worth it. And yet, he possessed the only map. Tang was miserable and willing to pay for the map, "he just had to get out of here." The transaction took place, and the next day Tang set sail with nearly everyone from his compound. A few were left behind to keep the villagers working and earning for Tang, but most of the compound left. Little did Tang know, but Kellen's map would lead him along a dangerous and impossible path to Cape No Hope. Within a few days, Eami and a group of villagers, still committed to the resistance, were able to take over the compound. Kellen remained on the island another year, and Tang never came back. He had to leave when he got the news that his mother was ill, but he looked forward to coming back with us. So we traveled there, not knowing what to expect when we got to the island. Did Tang come back? Was Eami still alive? Will Kellen be greeted as a hero or betrayer?

1-7-21 - Angry Young Men

 Angry Young Men

IDEA - 1-7-21

by

Patrick Ryan

Judgment is easily passed but hardly reconciled for the angry young men. Living in a world that has passed them by, images paint a sardonic picture of youthful men of influence that has gotten older and cast aside. For these angry young men, life is a test written in another language, exhausting and pointless to begin with, but now the scars of previous accomplishments have started to wither away, and they don't know what to do. It is difficult to appreciate their viewpoint because you have to be empathetic for those who have been in power for too long; it is like caring what happens to a deposed dictator. There's nothing to gain, no revelation to learn from empathy. So we disregard the man who used to be a dictator. Now he is just a miserable, old, and helpless individual who has nothing to offer; easily overlooked is the solitary person, big deal, you used to be a dictator; what can you do for me today? However, you can't ignore the angry young men; while a ceiling to their numbers, each has a downhearted story and collectively can regain a semblance of importance. So, people get angry, "shoot them," "send in the dogs," "send in the military to remove them violently," are comments that can be heard from the peanut gallery. For angry young men, there's no peaceful resolution. That would be like telling the dog not to bark. Most would say they had their time, and now it's time for the rest to assume their influence. Sure, we all have our causes and point of view as the cross sits unused; but the angry young men bare the cross of their beliefs. I barely have the enthusiasm to comment on my social media feed, but the angry young men storm the gates. It's not going to end well; it's just going to be yet another pointless scar. Like the irritating mosquito that has been bothering you all day, it will just be swept away, like flicking a mosquito off your shoulder. The angry young men's demonstration will be juxtaposed with others that have taken place. They are more alike than idealists would like to admit. After they've put in their two cents on how bad the angry young men are, most will completely disengage. The storming of the gates will not be remembered one or two news cycles from now, and nothing will have changed. Nevertheless, suppose someone takes the time to listen to the narrative of angry young men, or angry young women, or angry young people of color, or angry young immigrants, or angry young people. In that case, they're going to find a few threads of commonality. When one group storms the gates, the other groups sit back and say, "those people, who are not like me, are out of control." That is until it's your turn to storm the gates. Everyone is so busy making judgments that no one ever asks why they are angry.

1-6-21 - Sock Puppet

 Sock Puppet

IDEA - 1-6-21

by

Patrick Ryan

Raj has been working at Dunn Technology for five years. Building a reputation as one of the best programmers at the company. During that time, Raj was on several teams, interacting with hundreds of people. However, towards the end of his tenure at the company, there was no one he enjoyed teaming up with other than Mya, a project manager. She was the go-between for customers and programmers. She was gorgeous, funny, approachable, and if she wanted to be, she could be just one of the guys. Raj had become obsessed with Mya. She was the only person in the company with who he could have a conversation. Raj is shy, and Mya was charismatic, making it easier for Raj to open up to her. Eventually, Raj was offered a job with a promotion and a pay rise at a larger company. He debated over and over in his last days in the company, about telling Mya how he felt, but unfortunately never dared to. Raj stood in an empty office after all the goodbyes and best wishes, reflecting on his time in the company. As he started walking out, he saw Mya's desk and decided to write a letter and leave it under her keyboard.

"Mya, I just wanted to say that I enjoyed working with you. You made the long hours and hard work worth it. The truth is, for some time now, I have had a crush on you. You are so beautiful, easy to talk to and have a fun personality. If you ever want to meet up, just call- 555-728-6491. Take care, and I hope we see each other again. – Raj."

Months passed after Raj started a new job, and he had not heard anything from Mya. From time to time, he'd think of her, but even those thoughts began to fade. Raj gets a call out of the blue six months later. It's Mya!  She's panicking. She tells Raj that she made a crucial mistake, and it could cause her to lose her job or worse. Mya informed Raj that she had entered the wrong account number for a bank transfer scheduled to take place overnight. Mya came over to Raj's apartment and further explained. She wanted him to secretly hack behind the security wall of Dunn Technology and change the bank account number to the correct one. Raj explained that she would need credentials to make that kind of change. Mya took out a notecard, "Can the CEO's credentials do that? Raj was starting to get suspicious, Mya reached over and started to flirt, starting to get close, unbuttoning the button on her blouse and beginning to touch Raj's arm and shoulder. Raj grinned and began hacking. He was able to get behind the security wall without being detected. They discovered that Hollis Energy intended to move 632.5 million dollars to Dunn Technology. Mya started to provide the real account credentials, but Raj could see quickly, the new account was a Dunn Technology sock puppet, a false identity made to look like a real one. Raj started to hesitate and was about to say something, but just as words were about to come out, Mya slipped her hand onto Raj's inner thigh. "We're almost there now. I can't thank you enough for helping me out. There's got to be a way for me to pay you back," said Mya in a sexy accent. Raj finished passing the data to the sock puppet. That night, they had sex, and in the morning, Mya was gone. Later that day, the news emerged that Dunn Technology had been hacked. It turned out the entire persona of Mya was a sock puppet, fake name, address, and references. Mya worked at the company for three years and then disappeared with $632.5 million. Raj was going nuts. What if this was traced back to him? He wanted to take time off and track down the real Mya, he was in love. He had seen many details on the sock puppet account when Mya had given it to him. With a few strings to pull at, the search would begin. Little did he know that leaving when he left would be a horrible idea and raise a massive red flag. As Raj chases after a sock puppet who barely exists, the FBI is closely following his every move.

1-5-21 - Polygamist Paradise

 Polygamist Paradise

IDEA - 1-5-21

by

Patrick Ryan

Lee Ann was an early twenty-something who had huge aspirations but lacked any clear means of achieving them. Until a recruiter plucked her out of a bar in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and dropped her off at a mansion in the South West, Nevada desert. The mansion was owned by Spencer Cross, a multi-millionaire who would pay young women to live at the estate, keep him company, and have sex with him. The job paid $50,000 a year plus the benefit of living at the mansion with a gym, maid, culinary service, spa, and beauty center. The mansion also featured a movie theater, a bowling alley, a pool with a lounge, and a two-room suite with a huge bathroom for every girl living there. All Lee Ann had to do was plan a day with the boss that would always end in sex. Six girls were staying in the mansion, including Lee Ann. They will cycle through the days, with Monday off and working Tuesday to Sunday. If a girl were assigned Tuesday one week, she would have Wednesday the following week and Thursday the week after. Lee Ann decided to do it because the money was good, and since everything was paid for, she could save up and when she had enough money, head off to Nashville to start her country music career. The only thing was that she was at the mercy of Spencer Cross. If he didn't like her, she'd be back in Cheyenne faster than she could unpack. Next Tuesday was her first date with Spencer. He was about 50 years old, but he wasn't overweight or ugly by any stretch; Lee Ann thought it might work. Since Spencer could send any girl home, there was a kind of rivalry between the girls. Like middle school, which most were in 5 or 6 years ago, the girls formed cliques and were not nice to each other. All except one, her name was Kay, she had to be almost 30, elderly in this house, she was friendly to Lee Ann and didn't seem to have any fear of leaving. Several dates have taken place, and Spencer seemed to like the energy of Lee Ann. After staying at the house for a month, Lee Ann Lee encountered Mexican thugs with guns intimidating Spencer, and this prompted her to suspect that maybe Spencer made his money doing things not considered legal. That's when she started to probe Kay, who said that she should watch what she says or find herself out of a job. Lee Ann behaves normally, but things are unraveling at the mansion. Lee Ann sees a horrific murder, but the Mexican thugs catch her this time. Spencer vouches for her, and he explains the whole situation to her that night. He informs her that he doesn't have the money to carry on with the mansion and may not even survive the weekend. Spencer advises Lee Ann to pack up and leave, quickly. "It's not safe." Lee Ann packs up and is about to leave when she decides to warn the other girls, including those who treated her rotten. Of course, they don't believe her, and even Kay doesn't want to leave. As Lee Ann tries to persuade Kay, bullets fly, and two girls are killed. The Mexican cartel invades the property to kill Spencer, who locked himself in a panic room, leaving the girls to fend for themselves. A maid has been shot in the head. Kay tells Lee Ann to make a run for herself after battling back as long as they can in bikinis and panties. Kay sacrifices herself, and as she makes her escape, Lee Ann sees Kay shot in the chest. Lee Ann sprints through the property, looking back to see if she's been followed. As she makes it to the street, the cartel has breached the panic room, and two gunshots ring out. Lee Ann never made it to Nashville. After working at the mansion, her priorities changed. I suppose she feels fortunate she survived. She was the only one left to tell the story.

1-4-21 - El Sol

 El Sol

IDEA - 1-4-21

by

Patrick Ryan

On Earth, the sun was worshiped as a God, helped to build and sustain life, and eventually will take more lives than anything else in the universe. Come on, Dalton, get to the point. What happened, why are you writing this email? I need to give you this message from the other side of the world. You must seek shelter before sunrise. Not just in a house or office building but underground and away from any light. You'll notice that all email, television, and technology communication will be disabled once the light hits from the sun. People will think you're crazy, but you might be the only person who knows the truth. I sent this email before sunrise because someone sent me an email before their sunrise. I couldn't think of anyone who lives in the States except you. I hope you'll read this before dawn and get to safety- Dalton.

A month earlier, Eric and Dalton had met at a conference in Germany. They hit it off and have been collaborating since then. Eric has observed Dalton to be a serious guy, not a joker. The seriousness of Dalton's email strikes and Eric jumps into action. "Wake up, darling. Wake up." The family starts to pack. They live in California, so they have more time than those on the East Coast. Not really understanding the danger or why they were running around buying supplies so early in the morning, but all the family could see was that Eric was hysterical. It's 4:15 am on June 20th, sunrise is at 5:32. Everything appears to be fine on the east coast, but if every person is dead and communication is entirely disabled, would anyone know? As the family passes people, Eric relays the message, but they brush him off. Eric's family attempted to calm him down, but he carried on like a crazy determined psycho. But where are they going? Who will they take with them? How long do they have to stay there? It's 4:30, one hour before sunset, and one hour before death.

1-3-21 - Twelve Hour Curse

 Twelve Hour Curse

IDEA - 1-3-21

by

Patrick Ryan

In 1822, Satan fell in love with a woman named Cecilia.  Of course, Satan is not permitted to be on Earth in any physical way. If the fallen angel were to be caught, he would be stripped of his authority over the domain of Hell.  Cecilia was beautiful and had many suitors, one of which was Louis Ramsey, who, with a background in scripture and aware of the consequences, discovered Satan's true identity. The negotiations were quick. Louis always wanted to live forever as a 25-year-old-man, simple as that. Satan agreed with one stipulation, for 12 hours each year, from noon to midnight, New Year's Eve, if Satan can find Louis, he could kill him. Louis agreed, and he moved on with his life. Truth be told, as long as Louis didn't bring attention to himself, Satan could care less if he lived forever. Satan did not even look for Louis for the first two hundred years. Living forever makes it easy to amass wealth and power. Louis had a great life, and still, he longed for something more. Despite having had thousands of friends over the years, he could only spend around 10 to 20 years with them, as they would find it suspicious that Louis never ages. Louis was able to cope with the loss. New friends, a new woman, and even new families have always been there. Yes, Louis has been married at least ten times and has 48 children. The year was 2012. Once again, Louis started a new life in new geography, surrounded by people he had never met. This is where he met Zoey, and his life was never going to be the same. Louis had loved Zoey more than anyone he had known in the past 200 years. They spent 10 years together, and the love did not dwindle, even a bit. Concerns began to emerge, however, because Louis was obviously not 35 years old. That's when Louis wanted to break the spell and live his whole life. He had not seen or heard from Satan in over two hundred years. Louis begins to speak out and draws attention to himself. Little did he know that the consequences could be so dire. It was only a matter of time before Satan would become aware of Louis, causing problems. New Year's Eve is coming; it may be time for a visit from an old friend.

1-2-21 - Panopticon of a Leader

 Panopticon of a Leader

IDEA - 1-2-21

by

Patrick Ryan

It all started the night of President Laura Bedingfield’s inauguration. The first female president and only the second president who is not married. After the parties and hobnobbing with donors, Laura returned to her residence where a book was sitting on her desk. The cover read, “The Greatest President in US History - The Biography of President Laura Bedingfield.” Once she cracked the binding, she couldn’t put it down. It spelled out every major event in her two-term presidency, what she did, and the corresponding result. On the last page, it read, “Do exactly as it says or else bad things will happen. We are always watching through the Panopticon.” Considering some kind of a joke, she didn’t take it seriously at first. In fact, she did not like the outcome of the biography. She felt she was elected to work on social issues, income inequality, and bringing the left-wing and right-wing parts of the country together. However, the book barely had any on that. It dealt with military aggression, responding to attacks, and strengthening the US position in the world. It was part of the job, of course, but not the issues she talked about on her campaign. The first test came a couple of days later, a Senator from Nebraska challenged her on a tax issue, and the book said she shut him down, castrating him politically. President Bedingfield felt there was room to negotiate, have a dialogue, and find common ground; she did not do as the book said. That night, she was attacked on 24-hour news as the other political party had united under the Senator’s cause. Three days into her presidency, and she was already losing ground in the face of public opinion. A couple of days later, she went against the book again, this time on Net Neutrality. That night, the media uncovered a scandal within her administration. A staffer was caught with a prostitute, calling into question her character analysis and what she knew about her administration’s partying ways. Approval ratings plummeted even further. Some on the fringe of the other political party started to protest for her recall. One week into her presidency and things could not have gone any worse. As she went to sleep that night, she saw the biography sitting on her nightstand, flipping through the next couple of weeks, she thought, what’s the harm in following the book's decisions? Internally, she compromised her beliefs for that of the book. She considered it temporary just until her approval ratings came back up. Following the book like a script to a play, President Bedingfield anticipated problems and acted accordingly. She became addicted to the prose; she wouldn’t even paraphrase; only the exact wording would be acceptable. Her first big test would be a bomb explosion in New Orleans. Two hundred twenty-five people were supposed to die. The question she grappled with was, does she alert authorities or let it happen because it happened in the book? She couldn’t sleep that night. Addicted to the success the book gave her, she opted not to report the attack, and all of those people died. The guilt ate away at her and she locked the book away. As expected, bad things started to happen as she began ignoring the decisions in the book. Again she found herself on the negative side of public opinion, and like a junkie to their next fix, she had the book on her at all times from that moment forward. Following the book brought success and a second term where war and military aggression consumed her presidency. Some estimate millions may have died at the end of her missile bombardment. The United States gained territory, influence and became feared around the world. A coalition was formed to stop the United States from terrorizing the world, but President Bedingfield was consumed with power. The opposing coalition called it World War III, the greatest threat to humanity since Hitler. She had no choice; following the book was even more important now that she was fighting a war on three fronts. The United States was successful in the war by the end of her presidency and had gained colonies full of resources and markets that would maintain America’s dominance for years. Years later, as historians and scholars looked back on President Bedingfield’s term in office, most would see it as a time of evil, death, and greed. The book said “The Greatest President,” but she never considered who wrote the book.

1-1-21 - Life is S#1T

 Life is S#1T

IDEA - 1-1-21

by

Patrick Ryan

Bobby Jones is not in a good place. A year ago, his sister died in a car crash, the most important person in his life gone in an instant. Bobby did not handle his situation well, which led to him neglecting his job, cutting himself off from the rest of the world, and becoming angry. When someone said, "Happy New Year, Bobby, hopefully, next year will be better than the last.", he would reply, "In my experience, things only get worse, have been for some time." A few months after that, Bobby had an idea, the first thing he was truly excited about in a long time. He borrowed money from a bank, saved up his own money, and opened a restaurant named Madeline's, named after his sister. He worked hard at the restaurant as he wanted it to be Madeline's legacy. Unfortunately, two months after opening, the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, and the restaurant was forced to reduce capacity. Even after all this, Bobby remained determined to weather the storm. For a time, it worked.  One night, the restaurant was visited by a top critic in the state, which might turn the restaurant's tide. Stressed, anxious, and nervous, he tried to make everything perfect.  However, Madeline's best friend Bernadette, who was waitressing part-time, messed up the order by failing to write the correct sauce on the slip. All the tension and nervousness Bobby experienced turned into anger. It was a tirade of expletives, hurled kitchen equipment, and demeaning shouting that followed. What Bobby didn't know was that Bernadette practiced witchcraft.  After the tirade was over, and she was fired, she started to walk to the door containing her anger. However, Bobby chimed in one last remark, "You're worthless; it's like you killed Madeline all over again." Bernadette turned around and cried out in a language Bobby didn't understand. He was reduced to the size of a bug. Bernadette grabbed the napkin and said, "There's a bug in the restaurant; that's not good." Moments later, she scooped up Bobby and flushed him down the toilet. Bobby moved through the plumbing systems mixing with the smells and textures that one would imagine. Eventually, he would make his way to the wastewater treatment plant. He would undoubtedly die due to the harsh chemicals and filtration used. Bobby grasped onto a used condom stuck on the side of the pipe. It prevented him from going any further, but the current was increasing. A tiny man saved his life, carried Bobby back to his village where everything was made of shit, and it smelt as you would expect. In the village lived people whose entire existence was shit.  However, to Bobby's surprise, everyone was happy, completely content with their lives.  Even though Bobby didn't quite understand, these tiny people really lived in and ate shit every day. But were the most satisfied and optimistic people he had ever met.  Bobby lived in the village; Pablo, the little man who found him, gave him shelter in his shit house. He worked with Pablo at his shit job, where they molded shit into models of shit food for the village to eat.  While living in the shit village, Bobby learned how to let go, avoid worrying about the past, stop looking into the future, and just live in the moment. Even though Bobby tried to poke holes in the villager's perfect lives, their kindness was infectious, and Bobby saw himself start to become kind.  The villagers enjoyed Bobby's tales about the world above, which he would illustrate in vivid detail; he would tell them about Madeline and their adventures together.  Slowly but surely, talking and laughing about life taught Bobby how to deal with pain.  After a while, Bobby was not angry anymore; the shit village had changed him.  Talking about real-world experiences made him miss living there. With enough shit food and shit water, Bobby attempted to make his return journey to the world above.  He would seek Bernadette, who will hopefully forgive him and ask her to make him big again.  "Godspeed Bobby, may the shitty wind always be at your back," Pablo said as Bobby cast off into the shitty river in his shitty boat.